Cowans was speaking toAVTV after seeing Kozak score either side of half-time to secure his Under-21 team a 2-1 victory over table-toppers Derby County in Monday night’s U21 Premier League Division Two match at Villa Park.

The Czech striker opened the scoring in the 34th-minute with a well-placed header from Adama Traore’s cross, before turning in a Lewis Kinsella ball nine minutes after the break to ensure that Mason Bennett’s finish soon after was nothing more than a consolation goal.

Now fully recovered from a career-threatening leg-break, the 26-year-old has netted four times in four Under-21 games this season, but his performances have still not been enough to earn him more than one senior appearance off the bench in the Capital One Cup.

Nonetheless, Cowans has urged him not to get downhearted and insists that he will soon be back in the first-team picture if he keeps producing performances like the one against the Rams.

“They were two very good goals and I’m pleased for Libor,” Cowans told AVTV. “He’s not getting a chance with the first-team but it’s a chance for him to come out here and get a game.

“He’s gone about his way and worked his socks off. I thought he fully deserved his two goals.

“The only way of getting back into the first-team is by performing and doing what you do out there. It’s all about how well you’re doing out on the pitch at the time.”

Premier League

Season

Goals

Goals MINS

Total Shots MINS

Shooting Accuracy

Scoring V Shooting Accuracy

Assists

Key Passes

Passing Accuracy

Appearances

Mins Played

Libor Kozák

2013-2014

4

195.25

71

64%

36%

0

8

55%

14

781

Rudy Gestede

2015-2016

3

276.33

28.59

24%

10%

0

4

55%

15

829

Jordan Ayew

2015-2016

3

256

40.42

42%

16%

0

4

81%

11

768

Gabriel Agbonlahor

2015-2016

0

0

94.33

67%

0%

2

10

78%

8

566

Kozak first joined Villa from Lazio in September 2013 for €6.5 million [£4.7 million] and made a solid start to life in England, scoring four goals in his first 14 Premier League appearances for the club.

However, he subsequently suffered a broken leg in training in January 2014 and has been battling to revive his career ever since, going 19 months without first-team football following two separate surgeries and a grueling rehabilitation programme.

His return to the senior setup in preseason saw him bag three goals in five friendlies, but despite the departure of Christian Benteke and Villa’s resulting scoring struggles, the fit-again forward earned just 48 minutes of action under former boss Tim Sherwood over the first three months of the campaign.

The arrival of Garde last month offered some hope that he could be given a chance to re-establish himself in the squad, but he has not even made the bench in the Frenchman’s opening four games in charge.

Freddie Shires

Freddie is a freelance sports writer, having recently completed an MA in Sports Journalism at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham. With an especially keen interest in all things American sports-related, he has written extensively about the NFL, MLS and the U.S. national team for various sites.